Work glove with pads and method of manufacturing same

Abstract

A work glove has one or more polymer pads attached to a liner. The pads have various patterns and heights in order to provide optimal protection. The liner has four fingers, a thumb, a palm portion, and a sleeve. Each pad has a pliable, central portion and a backing portion. The backing portion includes a peripheral sewing channel having an inboard sewing portion and an outboard peripheral rim. Each pad is attached to the liner through a sewing thread that passes through the peripheral sewing channel and liner. The central portion is made of a lower shore PVC (polyvinyl chloride) material, while the backing portion is made of a higher shore PVC (polyvinyl chloride) material that provides for a stiffer, stronger and more tear resistant material than the central portion.

1 . A work glove comprising:
 a liner in the shape of a human hand;   at least one pad having a central portion of a first shore hardness and a peripheral sewing channel fused to and extending from said central portion, said peripheral sewing channel having a second shore hardness greater than said first shore hardness of said central portion, and   a sewing thread passing through and coupling said peripheral sewing channel of said at least one pad and said liner.   
     
     
         2 . The work glove of  claim 1  wherein said peripheral sewing channel includes a sewing portion and a peripheral rim extending above said sewing portion, said peripheral rim being outboard of said sewing portion. 
     
     
         3 . The work glove of  claim 2  wherein said peripheral sewing channel further includes an inner groove extending from said sewing portion oppositely disposed from said peripheral rim. 
     
     
         4 . The work glove of  claim 1  wherein said central portion has a peripheral portion overlying said peripheral sewing channel. 
     
     
         5 . A work glove comprising:
 a liner in the shape of a human hand;   a pad having a pliable padding portion and a base coupled to said pliable padding portion, said base having a peripheral channel portion extending outward from said pliable padding portion, said base being of a material that is more tear resistant than said pliable padding portion, and   a sewing thread passing through said peripheral channel portion and said liner to couple said pad to said liner.   
     
     
         6 . The work glove of  claim 5  wherein said peripheral channel portion includes a sewing portion and a peripheral rim extending above said sewing portion, said peripheral rim being outboard of said sewing portion. 
     
     
         7 . The work glove of  claim 6  wherein said peripheral channel portion further includes an inner groove extending from said sewing portion oppositely disposed from said peripheral rim. 
     
     
         8 . The work glove of  claim 5  wherein said pliable padding portion has a select first shore hardness, and wherein said base has a select second shore hardness greater than said first shore hardness of said pliable padding portion. 
     
     
         9 . The work glove of  claim 5  wherein said pliable padding portion includes a peripheral portion overlying said base. 
     
     
         10 . A method of making a work glove, comprising the steps of:
 (a) forming a liner having a palm portion, four finger tubes, and a thumb tube;   (b) providing a mold having a central recess and a sewing channel recess, the central recess being separated from the sewing channel recess by a separation wall having a top edge;   (c) placing a molten high shore polymer material having a cured first shore hardness into the sewing channel recess to a level at or below the top edge of the separation wall to prevent the high shore polymer material from entering the central recess;   (d) placing a molten low shore polymer material having a cured second shore hardness less than the cured first shore hardness into the central channel recess and over at least a portion of the high shore polymer material so as to overlay and be fused to at least a portion of said high shore polymer material;   (e) curing the high shore and low shore polymer materials to form a resilient pad;   (f) removing the cured resilient pad from the mold, and   (g) sewing the peripheral sewing channel to the liner.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein step (b) the sewing channel recess has a first portion extending from the separation wall having a first recess depth and a second portion extending from the first portion and oppositely disposed from the separation wall having a second recess depth larger than the first recess depth of the first portion of the sewing channel. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein in step (g) the sewing is performed through the first portion of the sewing channel.